The invention relates to a pharmacy system for prescribing and delivering medicaments to a patient.
Distribution of medicaments prescribed by a doctor generally takes place via a pharmacy. It concerns a labor-intensive process which is carried out at least substantially manually. In this process, a doctor writes out a prescription on a sheet of paper with which a patient can then go to a pharmacy in order to collect the relevant medicament. However, written prescriptions are not always clear, which involves the risk that errors are made in the pharmacy. Also, the selection of medicaments (order picking) may give rise to errors being made.
The writing of a prescription belongs to the medical responsibility, while the pharmacist is by law charged with the duty of checking the prescription for unclarities and inaccuracies and to contact the doctor hereabout. For this reason, the total process of describing by the doctor and delivering by the pharmacist is generally carried out separately.
Accordingly, the law in for instance the Netherlands requires a separation between the prescribing and delivering of medicaments. Prescribing is reserved for the doctor and delivering is reserved for the pharmacist. From the prescription, the pharmacist carries out a number of checks, after which the medicaments are selected, labelled and delivered.
The invention inter alia relates to the automation of the delivery process, such that it will, moreover, still fall under the responsibility of a pharmacist. Accordingly, a pharmacy system according to the invention is characterized in that a possible embodiment of the pharmacy system for prescribing and delivering medicaments to a patient comprises at least one input unit with which a doctor is capable of entering inter alia a prescription of a medicament for a patient, together with the identity of the patient, into the system, the input unit generating a prescription signal corresponding to the prescription entered; a pharmacy computer coupled to the input unit, which pharmacy computer further processes the prescription signal received from the input unit and generates a control signal corresponding to the prescription; and at least one automatic dispenser which is suitable for being loaded with medicaments and which, under the supply of the control signal generated by the pharmacy computer, dispenses the medicaments prescribed.
The input unit may for instance be disposed in the consulting room of a doctor. The pharmacy computer, however, can then be disposed at and under the responsibility of a pharmacist. The automatic dispenser can for instance be disposed in or near the surgery of the prescribing doctor. This last means that the automatic dispenser and the pharmacy computer are spatially separated from each other. This involves a particularly great advantage of convenience to the patient. After all, after having consulted the doctor, the patient may directly take along the prescribed medicament, if any. Because the automatic dispenser is controlled by the pharmacy computer, the separation between pharmacist and doctor, as for instance required by the Dutch law, is maintained without change. In this respect, the automatic dispenser also falls under the responsibility of the pharmacist. The filling of the automatic dispenser may also be carried out under the responsibility of the pharmacist.
The pharmacy system according to the invention also involves a substantial efficiency improvement. Owing to the automation of the delivery process, manual errors as described hereinabove can no longer occur. This considerably improves the quality of the delivery process. In addition, a considerable reduction of personnel costs is possible within the pharmacy, which involves an important economic advantage from which not only the pharmacist, but also the patient may profit.
In accordance with an advantageous embodiment of the invention, the pharmacy system further comprises means for determining the identity of a patient, the system comparing the identity determined with the identity of a patient associated with a prescription inputted. The effect thus achieved is that a medicament is always delivered to the right patient.
For this purpose, the system in particular comprises a number of patient cards, a patient card comprising the identity of a patient, and the automatic dispenser comprising a card reader for reading and accordingly determining the identity of a patient from the patient card. As a person should identify himself via the patient card, the identity of the holder of the card is known and, if so desired, a bill for the medicaments delivered can automatically be sent to the holder of the card by order of the pharmacist.
Preferably, the above-mentioned comparison is carried out by the pharmacy computer. This means that the matter is carried out directly under the responsibility of the pharmacist. However, the comparison can also be carried out by the automatic dispenser.
In accordance with a particular embodiment of the invention, the automatic dispenser comprises a control unit, a magazine capable of being filled with medicaments provided with an identification code, a selection unit with which medicaments can be selected from the magazine, and a code-reading unit capable of reading the identification code of a medicament, the control unit controlling, on the basis of the control signal received, the selection unit such that the medicament corresponding to the control signal is selected from the magazine, the code-reading unit reads the code of the selected medicament and transmits it to the control unit, whereupon the control unit determines on the basis of the code whether a medicament corresponding to the control signal has been selected. The check ensures that it is entirely impossible that a wrong medicament is delivered to a patient.
In particular, the selection unit conveys the selected medicament from the magazine. In accordance with another aspect of the invention, the selection unit releases the selected medicament to a patient when the control unit determines, on the basis of the identification code read, that a medicament corresponding to the control signal has been selected.
The automatic dispenser may further comprise a printer printing for instance the patient""s name, the medicament and the dosage of the medicament on a label for the medicament to be released.
In accordance with a highly advanced embodiment of the invention, the input unit comprises a data bank wherein various data about indications with associated prescriptions of medicaments are stored, as well as for instance data of a patient, the input unit checking according to a predetermined algorithm whether a medicament prescribed for a patient corresponds to the data stored in the data bank. Hence, for drawing up the prescription, the doctor is assisted by the system. Also, unnecessary mistakes can be prevented. More in particular, the input unit issues a signal intended for the doctor when a deviation in the prescription is found during the check carried out by the input unit. In this connection, one may for instance think of the following deviations. The doctor selects a medicament which does not correspond to an indication entered by the doctor. The input unit may also generate a list of possible medicaments when an indication is entered, with the signal being produced when the doctor does not adopt the first choice of the input unit. Furthermore, a signal may be issued when not the usual strength or dosage of a medicament is inputted. In this manner, it is also possible to draw the doctor""s attention to possible interactions with other medicaments prescribed.
In accordance with a particular embodiment of the invention, the prescription signal comprising a prescription having a deviation, also comprises information about the found deviation in the relevant prescription. This has as a great advantage that the pharmacist""s attention can also been drawn to particular deviations in the prescription and that, if necessary, he may contact the doctor for consultation. For this purpose, the pharmacy computer produces for instance a signal intended for the pharmacist when a prescription signal having a found deviation is received.
In accordance with another important aspect of the invention, the pharmacy computer comprises a pharmacy data bank wherein various data about indications with associated prescriptions of medicaments are stored, as well as for instance patient data, the pharmacy computer checking according to a predetermined algorithm whether a prescription received by means of the prescription signal corresponds to the data stored in the pharmacy data bank. This means that an independent verification can be performed under the responsibility of the pharmacist. This verification may for instance comprise the same aspects as described with regard to the input unit. Here, too, the pharmacy computer may for instance produce a signal intended for a pharmacist when a deviation in the prescription is found during the verification performed by the pharmacy computer.
The invention also relates to an automatic dispenser suitable for use in a pharmacy system as described hereinabove.
By way of exception, for instance, in the Netherlands there are a number of dispensing general practitioners who provide the medicament distribution in thinly populated rural areas. This last involves a very heavy responsibility to the general practitioner. After all, the doctor should not only see to it that the correct medicament is prescribed, but also that the correct medicament is delivered to a patient.
Another object of the invention is to automate the delivery process at a dispensing general practitioner, in such a manner that the risk of wrong delivery of a medicament is minimized. Accordingly, an alternative embodiment of a pharmacy system according to the invention is characterized in that the pharmacy system comprises at least one input unit with which a doctor is inter alia capable of entering a prescription of a medicament for a patient together with the identity of a patient into the system, the input unit generating a prescription signal corresponding to the prescription entered, and at least one automatic dispenser coupled to the input unit to which automatic dispenser the prescription signal is supplied, the automatic dispenser, in service, being loaded with medicaments and delivering a prescribed medicament corresponding to the prescription signal.
The input unit may for instance be disposed in the consulting room of a doctor. The automatic dispenser may for instance be disposed in or near the surgery of the prescribing doctor. This last means that the automatic dispenser and the input unit can be spatially separated from each other. This involves a particularly great advantage of convenience to the patient. After all, after having consulted the doctor, the patient can directly take along the prescribed medicament, if any. The filling of the automatic dispenser can be carried out under the responsibility of a pharmacist as well as under the responsibility of the general practitioner.
The pharmacy system according to the invention also involves a substantial efficiency improvement. Owing to the automation of the delivery process, manual errors as described hereinabove can no longer occur. This considerably improves the quality of the delivery process. In addition, within the practice of the general practitioner, a considerable time saving is possible which involves an important economic advantage, from which not only the general practitioner, but also the patient may profit.
In accordance with an advantageous embodiment of the invention, the pharmacy system further comprises means for determining the identity of a patient, the system comparing the determined identity with the identity of a patient associated with a prescription entered and producing the above-mentioned prescription signal when these identities correspond to one each other. The effect thus achieved is that a medicament is always delivered to the right patient.
For this purpose, the system particularly comprises a number of patient cards, a patient card comprising the identity of a patient, and the automatic dispenser comprising a card reader for reading and accordingly determining the identity of a patient from the patient card. As a person should identify himself via the patient card, the identity of the holder of the card is known and, if so desired, a bill for the medicaments delivered can automatically be sent to the holder of the card by order of the general practitioner or pharmacist.
Preferably, the above-mentioned comparison is carried out by the input unit. This means that the matter is carried out directly under the responsibility of the general practitioner. However, it is also possible that this comparison is carried out by the automatic dispenser.
In accordance with a particular embodiment of the invention, the automatic dispenser comprises a control unit, a magazine capable of being filled with medicaments provided with an identification code, a selection unit with which medicaments can be selected from the magazine, and a code-reading unit capable of reading the identification code of a medicament, the control unit controlling, on the basis of the prescription signal received, the selection unit in such a manner that the medicament associated with the prescription signal is selected from the magazine, the code-reading unit reads the code of the selected medicament and transmits it to the control unit, whereupon the control unit determines on the basis of the code whether a medicament corresponding to the prescription signal has been selected. The check ensures that it is entirely impossible that a wrong medicament is delivered to a patient.
In particular, the selection unit conveys the selected medicament from the magazine. In accordance with another aspect of the invention, the selection unit releases the selected medicament to a patient when the control unit determines, on the basis of the identification code read, that a medicament corresponding to the prescription signal has been selected.
The automatic dispenser may further comprise a printer printing for instance the patient""s name, the medicament and the dosage of the medicament on a label for the medicament to be released.
In accordance with a highly advanced embodiment of the invention, the input unit comprises a data bank wherein various data about indications with corresponding prescriptions of medicaments are stored, as well as for instance data of a patient, the input unit checking according to a predetermined algorithm whether a prescription prescribed for a patient corresponds to the data stored in the data bank. Hence, for drawing up the prescription, the doctor is assisted by the system. Also, unnecessary mistakes can be prevented. More in particular, the input unit produces a signal intended for the doctor when a deviation in the prescription is found during the check carried out by the input unit. In this connection, one may for instance think of the following deviations. The doctor selects a medicament which does not correspond to an indication entered by the doctor. The input unit may also generate a list of possible medicaments when an indication is inputted, with the signal being produced when the doctor does not adopt the first choice of the input unit. Furthermore, a signal can be produced when not the usual strength or dosage of a medicament is inputted. In this manner, it is also possible to draw the doctor""s attention to possible interactions with other medicaments prescribed.
The invention also relates to an automatic dispenser suitable for use in a pharmacy system for a dispensing general practitioner as described hereinabove.